May 16 Grad card for Chris

Here is the card that I designed for Chris's graduation:

All of these photographs are from Townsend Park, and Bear Creek, out in Cannon Township. When Chris, Matt and Emma returned from Texas in 2012, this place became one of our favorite spots to hang out. We would bring nets with us and dangle strings loaded with a piece of hotdog and catch crayfish. It was so much fun. I have many posts from 2012-14 of us "fishing" here. I love these memories of the grandkids so much.

This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken." [JEREMIAH 9.23-24]

This passage from Jeremiah 9 is so essential to our lives--no matter who we are or what we are doing for a career or with our families--it applies to the deep parts of our very selves. Why? Because all of us suffer from PRIDE and our culture glories and encourages people to this state of mind. God tells us the very opposite in His Word. Are we wise? Are we strong? Have we been blessed with riches? All of those things, although not evil in themselves, can lead us to depend totally upon OURSELVES for any accomplishment or blessing that comes our way in life. That's NOT God's perspective at all. He says that understanding HIM--His JUSTICE, His RIGHTEOUSNESS, His UNFAILING LOVE--that's what is worth boasting about. Do we really know our God? John 17.3 says: "This is the way to have eternal life--TO KNOW YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth." The only way we can really know God is to study who He has revealed Himself to be through the life of His Son as told to us in the Bible. 

This is what I pray for Chris as he enters this new phase in his life of career and family. Life is full of really hard stuff. Finding meaningful work is difficult. Finding employment that actually supports a family is challenging. Loving a wife (as modeled by Christ's love to us) is impossible without the Lord as King of your life. 

I suppose this is rather "preachy" of me ... but I am an older person who has made very unwise decisions that affected my entire family right down to my grandchildren. I can't undo those decisions. But I can trust the Lord to perform His will for His glory in each life of my kids and grands. And I believe He will answer my prayers for my loved ones.